History

The Community Foundation was formally incorporated in March of 1997 by a small group of philanthropic individuals. The following year was spent soliciting additional Board members and securing sufficient funding commitments to pursue the search for an executive director. In October of 1998, the Community Foundation began formal operations. Currently, we manage over 140 funds and have over $18.5 million in assets.

The Community Foundation is one of more than 700 independent community foundations in the United States and one of 28 Virginia community foundations. Currently, 572 belong to the Council on Foundations, the largest national association of grantmaking foundations. We are one of approximately 475 community foundations that have earned the National Standards Seal from the Council on Foundations for attaining the highest standards for grantmaking integrity and accountability.

In 1997, ten people who were passionate about making the Rappahannock River Region a better place created what we now know to be the Community Foundation of the Rappahannock River Region. The Community Foundation began when those ten individuals met with the Ukrop's Family to open the Ukrop's/First Market Bank Fund. Now, more than 140 funds have joined our family of giving.

Our Founders

With heartfelt gratitude, we celebrate these 10 people who shared a vision and took action to create The Community Foundation.